Strategies for Building and Sustaining Legitimacy in Non-Profit Organisations
Author: Dr. Anna Neya Kazanskaia
Publisher: NEYA Global Publishing
Article | NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies
Year: 2025
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5669-1676
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-orglgernsustpbltrst-07
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About the Article
Legitimacy in non-profit organisations is not static but continuously constructed through engagement, transparency, ethics, and adaptability. This article examines practical strategies for building and sustaining legitimacy across diverse contexts. Participatory governance fosters inclusiveness and moral credibility by embedding community voices into decision-making. Balanced communication—integrating storytelling with empirical impact data—strengthens authenticity while avoiding the risks of performative branding. Ethical organisational culture reinforces trust through integrity, accountability, and value-based leadership. Adaptive legitimacy management enables NGOs to respond to differing expectations of donors, governments, and communities without compromising coherence. Finally, effective crisis communication demonstrates that legitimacy can be restored after reputational damage through transparency and responsibility. Together, these strategies frame legitimacy as a dynamic, relational process—socially granted yet strategically managed. The analysis provides scholars with a deeper understanding of legitimacy-building mechanisms and offers practitioners a structured roadmap for sustaining credibility and resilience.
Key Topics
- Participatory governance and stakeholder inclusion
- Transparent and authentic communication
- Ethical organisational culture
- Adaptive legitimacy management
- Crisis communication and recovery
- Sustaining long-term trust and credibility
Suggested Citation
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Strategies for Building and Sustaining Legitimacy in Non-Profit Organisations. NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies. Neya Global Publishing. https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-orglgernsustpbltrst-07
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